This top elected Republican won't attend the state party convention. Here's why.

When Indiana Republicans gather in Indianapolis for the party’s state convention this weekend, one notable state leader will not be in attendance: Gov. Eric Holcomb.

Holcomb told IndyStar Thursday he will not attend convention events Friday or Saturday, despite it being his last convention as the de facto leader of the Republican party. Holcomb's absence is just the latest example of his decreasing influence in the party as a "lame duck" governor in the last six months of his final term.

Holcomb said the convention should focus on U.S. Sen. Mike Braun's gubernatorial bid.

"This state convention is all about the future and is all about Senator Braun getting off to a strong start and finishing strong,” Holcomb told IndyStar following an unrelated interview in his office.

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Holcomb will leave office after two terms at the end of the year. While Holcomb took swipes from Republican gubernatorial candidates ahead of the May primary, the governor still remains fairly popular in Indiana at the end of his last term. Ball State University's 2023 Hoosier Survey, which was released in January, found that 42% of people surveyed approved of Holcomb's job as governor.

Still, there is a faction of Indiana Republicans who dislike Holcomb, in large part due to a belief that he was too heavy handed in his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mike Murphy, a former Indiana state representative, said Republican delegates might have welcomed Holcomb in his last convention as the "titular" head of the party, but nothing is certain. Murphy pointed to the convention two years ago when delegates also rejected Holli Sullivan, the governor's choice for secretary of state, instead choosing Diego Morales as the party's nominee. The move was seen as a rebuke of the Holcomb wing of the party at the time. That year, Holcomb only attended the Friday night portion of the convention.

"I tend to think it's nothing really serious or Machiavellian," Murphy said. "He doesn't have an agenda there."

Mike McDaniel, a former Republican state party chairman, said he was not surprised to hear Holcomb is not planning to attend the convention. (Holcomb previously served as the state Republican party chairman before running for lieutenant governor.)

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"He wants to move forward and get out of the way of the next nominee," McDaniel said. "If he was there, that would just take time when you've got a contested race for lieutenant governor in which he did not endorse anybody."

Republican delegates on Saturday are scheduled to vote on who will be the party’s nominees for attorney general and lieutenant governor in November.

All eyes will likely be glued to the lieutenant governor’s race where Braun’s pick, Indianapolis state Rep. Julie McGuire, faces conservative Noblesville pastor Micah Beckwith. Attorney General Todd Rokita is uncontested in his convention race this weekend.

Republicans in the state's May primary chose Braun out of six total candidates. Braun will face Democrat Jennifer McCormick and Libertarian Donald Rainwater in November.

Contact IndyStar state government and politics reporter Brittany Carloni at brittany.carloni@indystar.com or 317-779-4468. Follow her on Twitter/X @CarloniBrittany.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb won't attend state GOP convention